1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a new method of making a drape. Specifically, it relates to an innovative method for making a drape with multiple pleats.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
In the drapery industry, drapes which are gathered into pleats on a drape rod have been manufactured for years. These are referred to as rod pocket drapes as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,156,231 to Stam (1939) and 2,533,216 to Bixer (1950).
Rod pocket drapes on the market today have three parts. These include the header, which is a ruffle or fold of a single layer of fabric that projects from the top of the drape rod, the rod pocket, which is a fabric pocket that gathers over the drape rod, and the bottom extension, which is a fabric extension that projects from the bottom of the pocket.
The construction of rod pocket drapes is such that only a single ruffle can project from the top of the rod pocket. A single ruffle is one horizontal piece of fabric that forms vertical folds when gathered along one edge. The construction also prohibits any ruffle from projecting from the front of the rod pocket.
Rod pocket drapes are constructed of widths of fabric equal to twice the width of the drape rod; this construction is known as "two times fullness." This requires the cutting of widths of fabric to equal the required two times fullness amount. The procedures for cutting multiple widths of fabric to equal a desired fullness is very time consuming and costly.
Another well established drape has a type of pleat called a French pleat, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,090 to Wyndham (1963), U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,958 to Steiger (1986) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,730 to Kalder (1968). A French pleat drape has sewn in pleats along its top borders. Drape hooks are installed in the pleats to allow the drape to hang from a drape rod assembly.
Unfortunately, drapes having French pleats are time consuming to manufacture and hence costly. The fabric must be formed by seaming together adjacent edges of stacked drapery material. The material also must be aligned with a fence of a laterally-movable seaming table. This requires a specialized and expensive piece of equipment. Next, a conventional bottom hemming is formed and a stiff heading fabric is added to the top of the drape for the pleats. The marking operation follows. In this the location where each pleat is to be sewn is marked along the top of the drape. The sections are then cut to width. After conventional side hemming steps and pleat forming operations are completed, two workers are required to perform fan folding. This requires several steps and workers to manufacture the drape. Therefore, the foregoing French pleat making procedure is very time-consuming and costly.
The term "box tuck" is well known in the dressmaker's art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,912 to Madden (1961) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,908 to Nachman (1952) discloses a single box tuck. A box tuck denotes a pleat that doubles both to the right and left. Spaced hidden folds are symmetrically disposed with respect to adjacent exposed folds. This is then stitched to be retained and held in folded position. This construction of box tucks allows only a single box tuck to be formed. Multiple box tucks, i.e., box tucks which are superimposed on top of each other, cannot be manufactured with this construction. Moreover it does not permit the widths of the tucks to be varied or graded (gradually increased in size).